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CAPE OF GOOD HOPE, triangular issues

Return To Catalogue - Cape of Good Hope other issues - South Africa

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1853 So called Cape-Triangle

  1 p red
  4 p blue
  6 p lilac
  1 Sh green

For the specialist: Three different printings were made, the first one in 1853 by Perkins, Bacon & Co, the second one locally poorly printed (wood-block print) in 1861. Finally the third printing was done by De la Rue & Co in 1863, it can be distinguished by the slightly different colours and slightly sharper impression. The first and third printings have watermark 'anchor' (a 1 p red with watermark 'CC' was prepared, but not issued). The second printing has no watermark.

Front and backside of a 6 p stamp with 'anchor' watermark.

Examples of the second wood-block printing:

This 'woodblock' print became necessary, because a shipment of stamps from Great Britain was late. The woodblock stamps are quite rare. There exist errors of these stamps in the wrong colours: 1 p blue and 4 p red, example:

(Misprint, 4 p red, genuine, reduced size)

The woodblock print has been reprinted in darker colours with watermark 'CC Crown'.

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
First printing
1 p	RR	RR
4 p	RR	R
6 p	RRR	RR
1 Sh	RRR	RRR
Second printing
1 p	RR	RR	With watermark CC Crown: RRR
4 p	RR	R
6 p	RR	RR
1 Sh	RRR	RRR
Woodblocks
1 p	RRR	RRR
4 p	RRR	RRR

Forgeries:

In the genuine stamps the background lines form a cross-like structure before the 'P' of 'POSTAGE' (except for the woodblocks).

Many forgeries exist, examples (some of the above shown stamps could very well be forgeries as well!):

First forgery

In the above forgeries, the background behind the woman is formed of small squares. There is no cross before the 'P'. I've only seen this forgery cancelled with parallel bars.

Second forgery (Spiro):

(Reduced size)

The above forgeries do not have any watermark. They also don't have the cross before the 'P' of 'POSTAGE'. The pattern of lines behind the side labels is very prominent. I believe they are made by Spiro.

Third forgery

There is no cross before the 'P' of 'POSTAGE'. Note also the bogus cancel (lines forming a diamond).

Fourth forgery

There is no cross in front of the 'P' of 'POSTAGE'. The 'C' of CAPE' is very thin (could these be the engraved forgeries of Panelli or Oneglia?).

Fifth forgery

Note the very prominent background lines especially in front of the 'P' and behind the 'E' of the word 'POSTAGE'.

Some more deceptive forgeries:

Senf forgeries:

The above forgeries have the inscription 'Facsimile' twice in the design. They were made by the Senf brothers of Leipzig, Germany. Be careful, I have seen the above 4 p forgery, with the words 'Facsimile' covered by some smudges (pretending to be cancels!). Note that the 'F' of 'FOUR' resembles a 'P'.

I've been told that the above stamp with overprint 'FACSIMILE' also has been made by Senf.

In the above forgeries the word 'CAPE' is written slanting to the left, the word 'OF' therefore seems to be printed lower. I have also seen a 1 p red and a 4 p blue (the usual colours) of this particular forgery.

Some other primitive forgeries:

Forgery in the wrong colour:

The woodblock printings have also been forged, examples:

Two Spiro forgeries of the Woodblock prints

(reduced size)

(London Exhibition Sheet)

In 1950 a souvenir sheet was issued in London for 'The London International Stamp Exhibtion'; On this souvenir sheet there is a 1 Sh Nova Scotia 1852 violet stamp, a Penny Black, a New South Wales 1 p red 1850, a Ceylon 4 p 1859 and a 4 p Cape triangle of 1853, it was reproduced by the collotype process and printed by Waterlow & Sons. I have seen all the cuts from this sheet offered as forgeries.

Copyright by Evert Klaseboer

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